Rebirth: Illuminating a Brilliant Life

Chapter 154 Heartbreak in the Rainy Alley: The Broken Bond Between Su Xuan and Cheng Ran

Su Xuan and Cheng Ran, former lovers, have now gone their separate ways, much to the dismay of their parents. The elderly couple sighs and laments all day long, hoping that the two can remarry and become a family again.

These two kids are both incredibly stubborn, and their attitude towards remarriage is ambiguous, like looking at flowers through a fog, leaving people completely baffled.

The parents were at their wits' end. After much discussion, they came up with a plan to arrange a "special" blind date.

They secretly arranged blind dates for Su Xuan and Cheng Ran, deliberately choosing the same upscale coffee shop and the same time, hoping the two would cause some trouble when they met.

On the day of the blind date, Su Xuan dressed up carefully, hoping to meet a new love and get rid of past heartbreak. Cheng Ran, on the other hand, was also dressed in a suit and tie, but he seemed to be going through the motions absentmindedly.

Who would have thought that the two of them would be stunned the moment they entered the coffee shop and their eyes met? The expressions on their faces were priceless, a mixture of surprise, embarrassment, anger, and a hint of barely concealed joy.

The air around them seemed to freeze, and an unexpected "drama" was about to unfold. No one knew what kind of melodramatic plot would happen next.

Cheng Ran stepped into the coffee shop filled with an ambiguous atmosphere with a nonchalant expression, but her heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

When his gaze met Su Xuan's, as if struck by lightning, he was frozen in place. In that instant, it was as if fireworks exploded in his heart. That joy, like a wild horse breaking free of its reins, galloped and shone in his eyes, as if illuminating his entire world.

Countless wonderful moments he had spent with Su Xuan flashed through his mind in an instant. Those sweet memories played out before his eyes like a movie, making him momentarily dazed and even forgetting to breathe.

As for Su Xuan, the moment her gaze fell upon Cheng Ran, her heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer. The love and hate of the past surged like a raging sea, sweeping her into the abyss of memory.

All those vows of eternal love, arguments and cold wars, and the painful and resolute breakup all rushed into her mind, leaving her with mixed feelings.

But her inherent stubbornness and pride were instantly ignited, like a raging fire that burned away all weakness and reluctance. She bit her lip hard until it turned white, her eyes revealing a cold resolve, as if she wanted to sever all ties with the past.

Then, she abruptly tossed her hair and turned around with an almost resolute air. The crisp sound of her high heels on the ground seemed to pound on Cheng Ran's heart with every step. Her figure quickly disappeared at the entrance of the coffee shop, leaving Cheng Ran standing there in astonishment. The air around him seemed to freeze, leaving only his heart pounding wildly in his chest. All his anticipation and joy vanished in an instant, leaving only endless melancholy and loss. It was as if fate had cruelly mocked him, and he was unable to recover for a long time. This unexpected encounter, like a storm, once again disrupted their seemingly peaceful lives.

Cheng Ran stood like a statue whose soul had been ripped away, his eyes fixed on the direction Su Xuan had left, his gaze empty and filled with disbelief, as if the whole world had stopped turning at that moment.

The surrounding air seemed to solidify, imprisoning him firmly in place, and every gust of wind felt like a deep wound etched into his heart.

In this suffocating silence, time seemed to stretch out infinitely, each second becoming unbearably agonizing. He didn't know how much time had passed—perhaps just a moment, perhaps like an eternity—when a flash of inspiration, like lightning, suddenly cleaved through his chaotic mind, violently pulling him back from his endless daze.

At that moment, his eyes were instantly ignited, burning with a fierce flame—a resolute fire interwoven with resentment, reluctance, and urgency.

He gritted his teeth hard, the muscles in his cheeks bulging slightly from the effort, his jaw clenching as if he wanted to crush all his regret and annoyance between his teeth.

Immediately afterwards, his legs seemed to be infused with boundless power, and he shot out like an arrow, running wildly in the direction where Su Xuan had disappeared.

Each step he took was large and forceful, the soles of his shoes scraping violently against the ground with a "bang, bang" sound, and the dust he kicked up formed a small cloud of smoke behind him, just like a reflection of his chaotic and anxious state of mind at that moment.

He had only one obsession: he could never let Su Xuan disappear from his world again without warning.

Even if there were mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, he would do everything in his power to grasp this lifeline that might save everything. Even if it was just to see her one more time, to say one more word to her, or to briefly bring her back into his sight, he was willing to pay any price, like a mad gambler who staked his entire being on this uncertain pursuit.

Cheng Ran ran wildly, like a mad bull, completely ignoring the astonished looks of passersby, with only one thought in his mind—to catch up with Su Xuan. Finally, at a street corner, he grabbed Su Xuan's clothes tightly.

Su Xuan stopped in her tracks, turned her head and saw Cheng Ran. Her face instantly turned frosty, and her eyes showed undisguised disgust: "Cheng Ran, what exactly do you want?"

Cheng Ran looked anxious, gripping Su Xuan's shoulders tightly with both hands, his voice trembling: "Su Xuan, please, come back to me! Since leaving you, I've been living in a daze every day, like a walking corpse. Without you, my world is pitch black."

Su Xuan snorted coldly, forcefully shaking off Cheng Ran's hand, and sneered, "Cheng Ran, stop pretending. When you left so heartlessly back then, did you ever think this day would come? Let me tell you, what's done is done. I will never remarry you. Even if I grow old alone, it's better than being with you!"

After saying that, Su Xuan suddenly turned her head, her resolute posture like that of a wounded but still proud lone goose, turning around and walking away quickly without hesitation.

Her steps were quick and firm, as if each step was a complete break with her past emotions. The sound of her high heels hitting the ground was like the drumbeat of her inner anger and determination.

Behind him, Cheng Ran stood there blankly, like a sculpture weathered by time.

His eyes were empty and lifeless, like deep black holes that mercilessly swallowed all vitality and hope, as if an invisible hand had suddenly ripped out his soul, leaving only a lifeless shell. Fine rain fell like cow's hair, gently sprinkling on him, gradually soaking his clothes, but he seemed oblivious, letting the cold rain slide down his cheeks, mingling with the corners of his mouth, unable to distinguish whether it was the bitterness of the rain or the despair welling up from the depths of his heart.

His heart was like a mirror shattered by a heavy hammer, breaking and scattering piece by piece as Su Xuan's figure gradually receded into the distance, until it disappeared at the end of this vast street, buried by endless darkness and loneliness.

The clamor of the streets and alleys, the hustle and bustle of traffic, now turned into sharp mockery, echoing wantonly in his ears, ruthlessly shattering his last remaining illusions, leaving him alone in the cold rain, tasting the pain and regret of loss, as if he had been crushed by the giant wheel of fate, sinking into an endless abyss, unable to find a glimmer of redemption.